Pot Shots and Top Plots in 2013 Alice Springs Gardening Competition

More than fifty Tennant Creek and Alice Springs gardens were judged with twenty in Tennant and thirty-plus in Alice Springs.

2013 was a tough year for gardeners with warm and dry conditions persisting over the winter months. Despite the challenges, the winning gardens showcased how persistence and attention to the local conditions can result in stunning gardens adapted to desert living.

Jenni Kennedy's Ambrose Street yard which won the Best Garden in Tennant Creek, mixed showy native shrubs, shade trees with tropical fruit trees to create a cool retreat from the baking Barkly weather.

The Frank McEllister Memorial Prize for the Best Garden in the Centre and Barkly was won by Gavin and Sharon O'Toole. Their Sterling Heights Garden is a manicured masterpiece that merges imperceptibly into the surrounding bush land.

Chief Judge, Geoff Miers, congratulated the O'Tooles for their constant garden improvements as well as their attention to detail. "We've watched this garden develop over the past four years and this year they have taken it to a whole new level."

2013 Winners:

Peter Meech Encouragement Award for Best Alice Springs New Garden | Supported by Alice Springs Town Council

Winner: John Crellin, Alice Springs

Best New Garden - Tennant Creek | Supported by Barkly Shire

Winner: Heidi Hopkins, Tennant Creek

Best Water Wise Garden Alice Springs | Supported by Dept of Land Resource Management

Winner: Fiona Walsh, Alice Springs

Best Water Wise Garden Tennant Creek | Supported by Dept of Land Resource Management

Winner: Kevin Diflo, Tennant Creek

Best Arid Zone Garden Alice Springs | Supported by Power and Water Corporation

Winner - Geoff Kenna, Illparpa, Alice Springs

Best Arid Zone Garden Tennant Creek | Supported by Power and Water Corporation